Method and Apparatus for Damage and Removal of Fat

ABSTRACT

Exemplary embodiments of method and apparatus are provided for damaging and/or removing portions of subcutaneous fatty tissue while leaving the overlying dermal layer of the skin substantially undamaged. One or more hollow needles can be provided that include an arrangement within the lumen configured to retain or damage portions of fatty tissue that enter the lumen. Properties of the needle can be selected such that the needle can be inserted into skin and pass through the dermal layer, allowing fatty tissue to enter the distal portion of the lumen as it is advanced further, and then leaving the dermis undamaged when withdrawn. Such exemplary apparatus can include a plurality of such needles, a reciprocating arrangement to mechanically advance and withdraw the one or more needles, and/or a vibrating arrangement.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application relates to and claims priority from U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/510,242 filed Jul. 21, 2011,the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for removing ordamaging small regions of fatty tissue, e.g., subcutaneous fat, whilereducing or avoiding significant damage to the overlying tissue, e.g.,the dermis and epidermis.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Procedures and devices for removing fatty tissue, e.g. for cosmeticreasons, are common and represent a significant market in the cosmeticprocedures sector. Conventional fat-removal procedures and devices,e.g., liposuction, can be disruptive to surrounding tissue and oftenincludes many risks such as excessive bleeding, etc. There arerelatively few procedures for removal of small amounts of fatty tissue,e.g., subcutaneous fat, for cosmetic purposes and such proceduresgenerally require a skilled practitioner for effective removal and canbe very time-consuming and subject to complications.

Accordingly, there may be a need to provide simpler and safer method andapparatus for removal of subcutaneous fatty tissue that addresses and/orreduces the limitations described above.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure describes exemplary embodiments of simple,inexpensive, and safe methods and devices for affecting fatty tissue,e.g., subcutaneous fat, while reducing or avoiding significant damage tothe overlying tissue, such as the dermis and epidermis. Such methods andapparatus can provide removal of small portions of subcutaneous fattytissue, which may optionally be implanted in other parts of the body orused to harvest stem cells present therein. Methods and apparatus forlocally disrupting small regions of fatty tissue, which may then beresorbed by the body, are also described.

An exemplary apparatus according to the present disclosure can beprovided that includes a hollow needle and at least one protrusionprovided on an inner wall of the hollow needle. The hollow needle can beconfigured to be inserted into a biological tissue such as skin, suchthat the needle penetrates the upper tissue layers. The size andgeometry of the needle can be configured such that softer or lessresilient subsurface tissue, e.g., subcutaneous fat, can enter thehollow core of the needle when the distal end of the needle advancesinto the fat. The protrusion can be configured to facilitate retentionof a portion of the fat when the needle is withdrawn from the tissue.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a pluralityof such hollow needles that include internal protrusions can be affixedto a substrate. The substrate and needles can be arranged to controland/or limit the depth of penetration of the needles into the tissuewhen the substrate is placed on the tissue surface. For example, thelengths of the distal ends of the needles protruding from a lowersurface of the substrate can be selected to correspond to a depth withinthe fatty tissue below the skin surface.

In further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the hollowneedle can include a pivoting flap or one or more barbs provided withinthe lumen to facilitate detachment and removal of portions of the fat bythe needle.

In yet further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, thehollow needle can include a cutting arrangement provided within thelumen to facilitate mechanical damage and/or disruption of portions ofthe fat by the needle.

In a another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, theexemplary apparatus can further include a vacuum source provided incommunication with the proximal ends of the needles, which canfacilitate separation and/or removal of portions of the fat from thesurrounding tissue when the needle is inserted and withdrawn.

In a still further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, theexemplary apparatus can include a reciprocating arrangement affixed tothe one or more needles. The reciprocating arrangement can include amotor or other actuator configured to repeatedly advance and withdrawthe needles relative to the tissue. The reciprocating arrangement can beprovided in a housing that facilitates manipulation of the apparatus,e.g., placement of the apparatus on the tissue being treated and/ortraversing the apparatus over the tissue. The housing can optionally beconfigured to stretch or otherwise stabilize the tissue proximal to theneedle(s) being inserted, to reduce deformation of the tissue and/orimprove accuracy of the placement of the needle(s) in the tissue. Thereciprocating arrangement can further include a translational controllerconfigured to translate the needles over the tissue in at least onedirection, and optionally in two orthogonal directions, to facilitateremoval or harvesting of fat from larger regions of a donor tissue sitewithout translating the entire apparatus over the tissue surface.

In yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, theexemplary apparatus can include a vibrating arrangement mechanicallycoupled to the one or more needles. The vibrating arrangement canfacilitate improved removal and/or disruption of the fat tissue by theneedles.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentdisclosure will become apparent upon reading the following detaileddescription of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, whentaken in conjunction with the appended drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure willbecome apparent from the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying figures showing illustrativeembodiments, results and/or features of the exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure, in which:

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary apparatus forremoval of subsurface fatty tissue in accordance with exemplaryembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is a lateral cross-sectional view of the exemplary apparatusshown in FIG. 1A according to a first embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 1C is a lateral cross-sectional view of the exemplary apparatusshown in FIG. 1A according to a second embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIGS. 2A-2C are schematic side views of the exemplary apparatus shown inFIG. 1A being used to remove subsurface fatty tissue in accordance withexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional side view of a second exemplary apparatusfor removal of subsurface fatty tissue in accordance with furtherexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B is a schematic frontal view of a first exemplary embodiment ofthe exemplary apparatus shown in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3C is a schematic frontal view of a second exemplary embodiment ofthe exemplary apparatus shown in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of a third exemplary apparatus forremoval of subsurface fatty tissue in accordance with still furtherexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional side view of a fourth exemplary apparatusfor removal of subsurface fatty tissue in accordance with still furtherexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 5B and 5C are schematic side views of the exemplary apparatusshown in FIG. 5A illustrating removal of subsurface fatty tissue inaccordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6A is a view of one end of a first exemplary embodiment of theexemplary apparatus shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6B is a view of one end of a second exemplary embodiment of theexemplary apparatus shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a fifth exemplary apparatus forremoval of subsurface fatty tissue in accordance with still furtherexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary apparatus fordamage or disruption of subsurface fatty tissue in accordance with yetfurther exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8B is a view of one end of a first exemplary variant of theexemplary apparatus shown in FIG. 8A; and

FIG. 8C is a view of one end of a second exemplary variant of theexemplary apparatus shown in FIG. 8A.

Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals and characters,unless otherwise stated, are used to denote like features, elements,components, or portions of the illustrated embodiments. Moreover, whilethe present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference tothe figures, it is done so in connection with the illustrativeembodiments and is not limited by the particular embodiments illustratedin the figures and the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can provide a method andapparatus for removing or locally damaging or disrupting soft tissue,e.g., subcutaneous fat, while reducing or avoiding significant damage tothe overlying tissue, e.g., the dermis and epidermis in skin. Exemplaryembodiments of the present disclosure can thereby facilitate removal,harvesting or disruption of subsurface tissue while avoiding and/orminimizing adverse effects such as scarring, bleeding, likelihood ofinfection, etc.

A cross-sectional view of an exemplary apparatus 100 for removing fattytissue is shown in FIG. 1A. The exemplary apparatus 100 can include ahollow needle 120 having a central lumen that further includes at leastone protrusion 130 provided along at least a portion of an inner surfacethereof, e.g., extending into a portion of the central lumen. An opendistal end 110 of the needle 120 can be provided with a sharpened and/orangled edge to facilitate insertion of the needle 120 into skin or othertissue. For example, the distal end 110 of the needle 120 can beprovided as a wedge shape that can be formed, e.g., by grinding the endof the needle 120 at an acute angle relative to its longitudinal axis.The angle of the distal end can be, e.g., approximately 45 degrees, orbetween about 30 degrees and about 50 degree, which can provide thetissue-selective penetration characteristics described herein. Theseexemplary angles can be used with any of the exemplary embodimentsdescribed herein.

The protrusion 130 can be provided along the inner surface of a shorterside of the angled or tapered end 110 of the needle 120. A handle 140and/or other gripping arrangement can be provided at a proximal portionof the needle 120 to facilitate holding and manipulating the needle 120.

A frontal view of the exemplary apparatus 100 is shown in FIG. 1B. Theprotrusion 130 can be configured to block and/or occlude a portion ofthe hollow center of the needle 120. The exemplary protrusion 130 shownin FIG. 1B can include a substantially straight edge provided towardsthe center of the hollow core of the needle 120. A further exemplaryprotrusion 130 is shown in FIG. 1C that includes a curved edge orientedtowards the center of the hollow core of the needle 120. Other shapesfor the protrusion 130 can also be used in further exemplary embodimentsof the present disclosure. A plurality of such protrusions 130 can alsobe provided in the needle 120. The cross-sectional shape of theexemplary needle 120 shown in FIG. 1B is substantially round. Theneedles 120 having other cross-sectional shapes can also be used, e.g.,needles 120 can be provided that have oval, square, or triangularcross-sections, etc.

For example, the protrusion 130 can block less than about 50% of thecross-sectional area of the hollow center, or optionally less than about30% of this area. The protrusion 130 can block more than about 10% ofthe cross-sectional area, or more than about 20% of this area. The sizeand shape of the protrusion 130 can be configured to facilitate aretention of fatty tissue in the hollow core of the needle 120 asdescribed herein.

The exemplary apparatus 100 can be inserted into a dermal tissue suchthat the distal end 110 penetrates at least partially into thesubcutaneous fatty layer 210 beneath the dermis 220, as shown in FIG. 2.A portion 230 of the fatty tissue can be present within the hollow coreof the needle 120 after such insertion. The exemplary apparatus 100 canthen be withdrawn from the dermal tissue. As shown in FIG. 2B, theportion 230 of the fatty tissue can also be removed from the fatty layer210, and can remain inside the hollow needle 210. The protrusion 130 canfacilitate the removal of the portion 230 of the fatty tissue from thefatty layer 210. After the removal of the exemplary apparatus 100 fromthe dermal tissue, the dermal layer can collapse around the insertionpath, as shown in FIG. 2C, and subsequently heal, whereas a portion 230of fat from the fatty layer 210 has been removed. Accordingly, suchexemplary method and apparatus can facilitate the removal of thesubcutaneous fat 230 with a relatively little disturbance of theoverlying dermis 220.

The diameter of the needle 120 can be selected to facilitate theinsertion through the dermal layer 220 without removing a substantialamount of the dermal tissue, as well as separation and removal of theportion 230 of the fatty tissue, as described herein. For example, theneedle 120 can have the size of a conventional 16 gauge needle, orbetween 14 gauge and 19 gauge. Such needle diameters can provide thetissue-selective penetration properties described herein when theapparatus 100 is inserted into skin. The diameter of the central lumenof the needle 120 can be, e.g., about 1 mm or about 1.25 mm. Theseexemplary needle sizes can be used with any of the exemplary embodimentsdescribed herein. Larger or smaller needle sizes may also be used inembodiments of the present disclosure if they exhibit the selectivetissue properties described herein, e.g., if the methods and apparatusdescribed herein are being used on tissues other than skin.

In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the angled ortapered distal end 110 of the needle 120 as described herein can divertor push aside the resilient dermal tissue 220 as the needle 120 isinserted. As the needle 120 penetrates further into the fatty layer 210,the portion 230 of the softer fatty tissue can be more easily separatedfrom the surrounding fatty layer 210, and enter the hollow core of theneedle 120. The protrusion 130 can anchor the portion 230 of fattytissue within the needle 120, and facilitate its separation and removalfrom the surrounding fatty layer 210 when the exemplary apparatus 100 iswithdrawn from the dermal tissue. The exemplary apparatus 100 can beinserted and removed a plurality of times to remove further portions 230of the fatty tissue.

A further exemplary apparatus 300 for removal of subcutaneous fataccording to the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 3A. This exemplaryapparatus 300 can include a plurality of needles 120 affixed to asubstrate 330. The substrate 330 can have a substantially flat lowersurface from which the needles 120 protrude, or this surface may becurved or otherwise contoured, e.g., to more closely match a contour ofthe surface of the dermal tissue being treated.

A frontal view of the exemplary apparatus 300 is shown in FIG. 3B. Theneedles 120 can be arranged in a square or rectangular pattern, as shownin FIG. 3B. Alternatively, the rows of needles 120 can be offset orstaggered to form a triangular pattern, as shown in FIG. 3C. Otherexemplary arrangements of needles 120 can also be used, such as aspatially random distribution of the needles 120 on the substrate 330.The number of the needles 120 and spacing between adjacent ones of theneedles 120 can be selected based on the particular tissue beingtreated, the amount of fat to be removed, etc.

The protrusion distance of the needles 120 from the lower surface of thesubstrate 330 can also be selected based on a local depth of thesubcutaneous fatty layer 210 and the depth to which the fatty tissue isto be removed. For example, the exemplary apparatus 300 can include anarrangement configured to adjust the protrusion distance of the needles120. Such arrangement can include, e.g., a plate or the like affixed tothe substrate 330 such that the needles 120 pass through the plate. Thedistance between the plate and the substrate 330 can be adjustable tovary the distance that the needles 120 protrude from the lower surfaceof the plate. Other exemplary arrangements that can facilitate theadjustment of the effective length of the needles 120 protruding fromthe bottom of the apparatus 300 may also be used. The location of theone or more protrusions 130 within the needles 120 can also be selectedto control the size or height of the tissue samples 230 that may beretained and removed in the needles 120 when they are inserted into andwithdrawn from the tissue, as described herein.

The exemplary apparatus 300 can be pressed into the dermal tissue andsubsequently withdrawn, such that the needles 120 penetrate into theinto the fatty layer 210 and remove portions of the tissue sample 230 ofthe fatty tissue from the fatty layer 210, as described herein and shownin FIGS. 2A-2C for a single needle 210. The exemplary apparatus 300 canfacilitate removal or harvesting of a larger amount of fatty tissue witha single insertion and withdrawal of the exemplary apparatus 300 fromthe dermal tissue.

A still further exemplary apparatus 400 according to the presentdisclosure is shown in FIG. 4 that includes one or more needles 120 asdescribed herein, which can be affixed to a reciprocating arrangement420 provided within a housing 430. The housing 430 can also include ahandle 410. The reciprocating arrangement 420 can be configured todisplace the needle 120 hack and forth along a direction that can besubstantially parallel to the axis of the needle 120. For example, thereciprocating arrangement 420 can be powered by a motor or the like,and/or controlled by a switch that can turn the reciprocatingarrangement 420 on and off, and can further control the reciprocatingfrequency and/or protrusion distance of the needle 120 below the lowersurface of the housing 430. The exemplary apparatus 400 can be traversedover a region of skin to be treated such that the one or more needles120 can be repeatedly inserted and withdrawn from the tissue, removing aportion of fatty tissue upon each withdrawal as described herein. Thepenetration depth of the needles 120 can be determined by theconfiguration of the reciprocating arrangement 420.

In a further exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure,the reciprocating arrangement 420 can further include a translationalmechanism configured to translate the one or more needles 120 over thetissue surface in one or two orthogonal directions. For example, thereciprocating arrangement 420 can be configured to translate such one ormore needles 120 over an area of the tissue while the exemplaryapparatus 400 is held stationary with respect to the tissue surface at adonor or treatment site. In one exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure, the reciprocating arrangement 420 can be configured totranslate the one or more needles 120 along a single direction toharvest fatty tissue along one or more rows. The exemplary apparatus 400can optionally be translated over the tissue surface after such rows areformed, e.g., in a direction that is not parallel to the row, to removeor harvest fatty tissue from a larger area of the donor tissue site.

In further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, any of theexemplary apparatuses described herein can be configured to remove orharvest fatty tissue from a plurality of locations in any of a varietyof spatial distributions, where each location can correspond to a singleinsertion and withdrawal of a single needle 120. For example, the fattytissue can be removed or harvested from a plurality of locationsconfigured as one or more rows, a regular two-dimensional pattern, arandom distribution, or the like. Such exemplary patterns or spatialdistributions of fat harvesting or removal sites can be generated basedon, e.g., the configuration of such one or more needles 120 provided,the properties of the reciprocating arrangement 420, and/or the rate oftranslation of the exemplary apparatus 400 over the tissue surface.

In still further exemplary embodiments according to the presentdisclosure, the housing 430 can be configured to stretch skin or othertissue when the exemplary apparatus 400 is placed on the tissue to betreated. Such stretching can facilitate mechanical stabilization of thetissue, e.g., to reduce or avoid deformation of the tissue 350 while theneedles 120 are inserted into and withdrawn from the tissue. Suchstretching of the tissue can also reduce the effective size of thedisrupted region of the upper tissue layers formed by the exemplaryapparatus 400 when the tissue is allowed to relax after treatment.Alternatively, the surface of the tissue to be treated can be stretchedor stabilized using other techniques prior to and/or during treatment ofthe region in accordance with any of the exemplary embodiments describedherein.

For example, a vacuum or suction source, e.g. a pump or a reservoircontaining a fluid under low-pressure, can be provided in communicationwith the lumen of the needle 120, e.g., via a conduit in communicationwith the proximal end of the needles 120, in any of the exemplaryembodiments described herein. Such low pressure, e.g., pressure lessthan atmospheric or ambient pressure, provided in the central lumen canfacilitate the removal of the portions 230 of fatty tissue when thedistal ends of the needles 120 are located within the subcutaneous fatlayer 210. For example, the exemplary devices described herein can beconfigured to provide such a vacuum when the distal ends of the needles120 are at least partially inserted into the fatty layer 210, and suchvacuum may be applied as the needles 120 are withdrawn from the fattylayer 210. The strength of the vacuum can be selected to facilitateremoval of the portions 230 of the fatty tissue within the distalportions of the needles 120, without causing a significant damage to thetissue surrounding the inserted needles 120.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus500 can be provided that is adapted to remove fatty tissue is shown inFIG. 5A. The exemplary apparatus 500 can include a hollow needle 120having a central lumen, where the size and shape of the needle 120 anddistal end 110 thereof can be similar to those described herein abovefor the apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1A. The apparatus 500 can include atleast one pivoting flap 510 within the lumen of the needle 120. The flap510 can be provided in the distal portion of the needle 120, e.g., andconfigured such that one portion of the flap 510 is pivotally connectedto an inside wall of the needle 120 at a pivot point 520.

A stop arrangement 530 can be provided on another location on the insidewall of the needle 120 to constrain or prevent movement of the flapbeyond a certain limit in a particular direction. For example, the stoparrangement 530 can be provided on an opposite side of the interiorneedle wall from the pivot point 520, as shown in FIG. 5A. In thisexemplary configuration, the flap 510 can be free and configured topivot upwards towards the proximal end of the needle 120, but may beconstrained from pivoting towards the distal end 110 of the needle 120past the stop arrangement 530. In further exemplary embodiments, thestop arrangement 530 can be provided at a location further up or downfrom the pivot point 520 (e.g., closer to or further from the distal end110 of the needle 120). The stop arrangement 530 can also be provided ona lateral side of the interior needle wall, instead of diametricallyopposite the pivot point 520 as illustrated in FIG. 5A. The stoparrangement 530 can be provided, e.g., by indenting an exterior portionof the needle wall such that the portion of the wall projects or bulgesinward into the lumen of the needle 120. Alternatively, a small objectcan be affixed to the interior wall of the needle 120 to form the stoparrangement. Other techniques and configurations may also be used toprovide the stop arrangement 530.

The exemplary apparatus 500 can be used to remove or harvest portions offatty tissue in a manner similar to that described with respect to theexemplary apparatus 100 and shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. For example, thedistal end 110 of the apparatus 500 can be advanced through the dermis220 and into the subcutaneous fat layer 210, as shown in FIG. 5B. Theexemplary apparatus 500 can be configured such that the distal endpenetrates the dermis 220 with little or no portion of the dermal tissueentering the lumen of the needle 120. As the distal end 110 penetratesthe fat layer 210, a portion 230 of softer fatty tissue may enter thelumen of the needle 120. The portion 230 can advance into the lumen,pushing the flap 510 upward and closer to the inner wall of the needle120, as shown in FIG. 5B.

When the exemplary apparatus 500 is withdrawn from the skin, the fatportion 230 may be pulled downward slightly within the lumen, pulling ordragging the flap 510 with it towards the distal end 110 of the needle120. For example, an edge of the flap 510 may ‘catch’ or penetrate theedge of the fat portion 230. As the flap 510 moves downward, it maypartially or completely sever the fat portion 230 from the remainder ofthe subcutaneous fat below it, thereby retaining the fat portion 230within the apparatus 500 as the apparatus 500 is withdrawn from theskin.

The flap 510 can be substantially round or moon shaped, e.g., such thatit can block or occlude substantially the entire lumen when it islowered against the stop arrangement 530. For example, an exemplary flap510 is illustrated in FIG. 6A in a raised position (e.g., pivoted upwardaway from the distal end 110 of the needle 120). In this figure, theview of the flap 510 is from the distal end 110 of the needle 120 alongthe longitudinal axis thereof. In this exemplary configuration, the thinround flap is curved rather than planar, such that it can more closelyconform to the shape of the inner wall of the needle 120 when pivotedupward as shown in FIG. 6A. Such a curved flap 510 can facilitateadvancement of a fatty tissue 230 into the exemplary apparatus 500 byreducing or minimizing obstruction of the lumen when it is pivotedupward.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the flap 510 can be provided as asubstantially rectangular shape or in another shape that does not fullyocclude the lumen when the flap 510 is pivoted to a lowered position,e.g., resting against the stop arrangement 530, as shown in a view of anend the needle 120 in FIG. 6B. This exemplary flap shape can also becurved, similar to the flap 510 shown in FIG. 6A, to reduce obstructionof the lumen when the flap 510 is pivoted in an upward position.

Any of the features of the exemplary apparatus 500 can be used inconjunction with the other exemplary embodiments described herein. Forexample, one or more needles 120 that include a pivoting flap 510, andthe stop arrangement 530 can be affixed to a substrate 330, e.g., asshown in FIGS. 3A-3C. One or more such needles 120 that include apivoting flap 510 can also be coupled to a reciprocating arrangement 420as illustrated in FIG. 4.

In a still further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, anapparatus 700 can be provided that includes one or more barbs 710provided on the interior wall of the hollow needle 120. The barb 710 canbe angled upward, e.g., sloping away from the distal end 110 of theneedle 120, as shown in FIG. 7. Such exemplary configuration canfacilitate an advancement of fatty tissue into the lumen as theapparatus 700 is advanced into the fat layer 210, while promotingretention of a fat portion 230 within the lumen as the apparatus 700 iswithdrawn from the skin. Such barbs can be formed, e.g., by deformingthe outer wall of the needle 120 inward at an angle at one or morelocations, by attaching pre-formed barbs 710 to the inside wall of theneedle 120, or by other techniques. The features of the exemplaryapparatus 700 can be used in conjunction with the other exemplaryembodiments described herein. For example, a plurality of needles 120that include one or more barbs 710 can be affixed to a substrate 330,e.g., as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. One or more such needles 120 can also becoupled to a reciprocating arrangement 420 as illustrated in FIG. 4.

In further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, an apparatus800 can be provided that includes a cutting arrangement 810 provided ina distal portion of the lumen of the hollow needle 120, as shown in FIG.8A. The apparatus 800 can facilitate mechanical disruption of fattytissue 210 without removing a substantial amount thereof from thesurrounding tissue. As with the other exemplary embodiments describedherein, the exemplary apparatus 800 can affect tissue in the fat layer210 without significantly affecting or damaging the overlying dermallayer 220 when the apparatus 800 is withdrawn from the skin. Forexample, a generation of mechanical disruption in the fat layer 210 canlead to cellular damage and/or death. The damaged or dead cells may thenbe resorbed by the body over time, reducing the amount of fat present inthe treated area.

The cutting arrangement 810 can include, for example, one or more thinwires, blades, or the like that extend across a portion of the lumen ofthe needle 120. End views of two exemplary cutting arrangements 810 areshown in FIGS. 8B and 8C. The cutting arrangement 810 in FIGS. 8B and 8Ccan include a plurality of thin wires or blades attached to the innerwall of the needle 120, and traversing a portion of the lumen. Otherconfigurations of the cutting arrangement 810 can be provided in furtherembodiments of the disclosure.

The exemplary apparatus 800 can be inserted into skin tissue and thenwithdrawn as described herein, for example, with respect to otherexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Such exemplaryinsertion and withdrawal of the exemplary apparatus 800 can cause aportion of the fat layer 210 to enter the lumen of the needle 120, withthe overlying dermis layer 220 remaining substantially unaffected afterthe apparatus 800 is fully withdrawn. The fat tissue that enters thelumen may be damaged by the cutting arrangement 810 during the insertionand withdrawal procedures. The exemplary apparatus can may be partiallywithdrawn from the skin and then advanced again a plurality of timesbefore fully withdrawing it from the skin. For example, the exemplaryapparatus 800 can be withdrawn until the distal end 110 is proximal tothe lower portion of the dermal layer 220, and then re-advanced deeperinto the fat layer 210. Such repeated cycles can create a greater degreeof local damage to the fat tissue. Little or no fat may remain withinthe lumen when the apparatus 800 is withdrawn from the skin. However,the damaged fat cells may die and be resorbed by the body over time.

The features of the exemplary apparatus 800 can be used in conjunctionwith the other exemplary embodiments described herein. For example, aplurality of needles 120 that include a cutting arrangement 810 can beaffixed to a substrate 330, e.g., as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. One or moresuch needles 120 can also be coupled to a reciprocating arrangement 420as illustrated in FIG. 4, to generate damage in a broader region of thefat layer 210.

The exemplary apparatus 800 can include a plurality of needles 120having different types of fat-disrupting arrangements as describedherein. For example, different ones of the needles 120 may include aprotrusion 130, a pivoting flap 510, or a cutting arrangement 810. Inanother exemplary embodiment, a plurality of needles 120 containingdifferent types of such fat disruption arrangements 130, 510, 810 can bemechanically coupled to a reciprocating arrangement 420 as describedherein. Different ones of the needles 120 in such multi-needle devicescan optionally have different lengths, which can facilitate harvestingor damaging of fat at different depths within the fat layer 210.

In further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a vibratingarrangement can be mechanically coupled to any exemplary apparatusdescribed herein. Inducing vibration in the needles 120 can facilitatedetachment of fat portions 230 from the surrounding tissue and/or cangenerate a greater mechanical damage by a cutting arrangement providedin the needle 120.

The exemplary methods and devices described herein can be used for avariety of purposes, for example, to remove small portions of the fattytissue for cosmetic purposes, to harvest stem cells that may be presentin regions of the subcutaneous fat layer to harvest fatty tissue forimplantation in other portions of the body for cosmetic purposes, and/orto generate mechanical damage of fat cells to promote cell death andresorption of damaged fat by the body.

The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the presentdisclosure. Various modifications and alterations to the describedembodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of theteachings herein. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in theart will be able to devise numerous techniques which, although notexplicitly described herein embody the principles of the presentdisclosure and are thus within the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure. All patents and publications cited herein are incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties.

1-32. (canceled)
 33. A method for affecting subcutaneous fatty tissue,comprising: inserting at least one hollow needle arrangement having acentral lumen, a proximal end, and a distal end, into a skin tissueuntil at least a distal portion of the needle arrangement is locatedwithin the subcutaneous fatty tissue; and withdrawing the at least onehollow needle arrangement from the skin tissue; wherein the at least onehollow needle arrangement is configured to substantially prevent dermaltissue from entering a lumen of the at least one hollow needlearrangement and to allow a portion of the subcutaneous fatty tissue toenter the lumen of the at least one hollow needle arrangement; whereinthe at least one hollow needle arrangement is in communication with avacuum or suction source so that removal of the subcutaneous fattytissue that has entered the lumen can be facilitated.
 34. The method ofclaim 33, wherein the at least one hollow needle arrangement is incommunication with the vacuum or suction source via a conduit incommunication with the proximal end of the least one hollow needlearrangement.
 35. The method of claim 33, comprising applying a pressureless than atmospheric or ambient pressure in the central lumen of the atleast one hollow needle arrangement to facilitate removal of a portionsof fatty tissue when the distal end of the at least one hollow needlearrangement is located within the subcutaneous fatty tissue.
 36. Themethod of claim 33, further comprising: removing a sample of the portionof the fatty tissue from the skin tissue when the at least one hollowneedle arrangement is withdrawn from the skin tissue.
 37. The method ofclaim 33, further comprising: generating mechanical damage to theportion of the fatty tissue when the at least one hollow needlearrangement is inserted into the skin tissue.
 38. The method of claim33, wherein the distal end of the at least one needle arrangement isconfigured to be inserted into skin tissue, pass through a dermal layerthereof, and prevent a significant portion of the dermal tissue fromentering the central lumen.
 39. The method of claim 33, wherein thedistal end of the at least one needle arrangement is provided as anangled tip, and wherein an angle of the tip is between about 30 degreesand about 50 degrees.
 40. The method of claim 33, wherein a diameter ofthe central lumen of the at least one needle arrangement is about 1.25mm.
 41. The method of claim 33, comprising repeatedly inserting andwithdrawing the at least one needle arrangement from the skin tissue.42. The method of claim 41, wherein the repeated inserting andwithdrawing the at least one needle arrangement is carried out using areciprocating arrangement comprising an actuator and a controlarrangement.
 43. The method of claim 33, comprising translating the atleast one needle arrangement over the skin tissue in one or twoorthogonal directions.
 44. The method of claim 43, wherein thetranslating the at least one needle arrangement is carried out using areciprocating arrangement comprising an actuator and a controlarrangement.
 45. The method of claim 33, comprising vibrating the atleast one needle arrangement to facilitate detachment of the portion ofthe subcutaneous fatty tissue from surrounding tissue.
 46. The method ofclaim 33, comprising partially withdrawing the at least one needlearrangement from the skin tissue and then advancing the at least oneneedle arrangement again a plurality of times before fully withdrawingit from the skin tissue.
 47. The method of claim 33, comprisingstretching the skin tissue when the at least one hollow needlearrangement is placed on the skin tissue to be treated.
 48. The methodof claim 33, wherein the at least one hollow needle arrangementcomprises at least one protrusion provided along at least one portion ofan interior wall of the needle arrangement, wherein the at least oneprotrusion is configured to affect the portion of the subcutaneous fattytissue.
 49. The method of claim 33, wherein the at least one hollowneedle arrangement comprises at least one cutting arrangement providedin distal portion of the central lumen of the at least one hollow needlearrangement
 50. The method of claim 33, wherein the at least one hollowneedle arrangement comprises a plurality of the hollow needlearrangements, and wherein the plurality of hollow needle arrangementsare mechanically coupled to a substrate.
 51. The method of claim 50,comprising adjusting a protrusion distance of the plurality of thehollow needle arrangements from an apparatus comprising the substrate.